Day: October 1, 2021

Summer is here and the Youth Council and Youth Circle for Mother Earth members are busy planning for the annual Youth Summit in the fall. As a graduating high school student who has experienced both an in-person and a virtual Youth Summit, I will share some of my highlights from both:

Easy Application Process

Since my first summit, Ontario Nature has made it extremely accessible to attend, both financially and transportation-wise. The first time I applied to the Youth Summit in 2019, I had no experience writing applications, nor did I need it. Both years, I simply reached out to Ontario Nature, filled out the 10-minute form and they matched me with sponsors! From there, you can take the (free) Youth Summit school bus to the in-person location, or if it is online, just hop onto your computer and enjoy learning from the comfort of your own bed.

In-person Youth Summit Highlights

My first year taking part in the Youth Summit was in-person for the summit’s tenth year! Every day was so exciting and jam-packed full of activities that often went into the night! Many of my favourite memories occurred in the evening, from stargazing to night-hiking to campfire stories. Despite not knowing anybody when I first stepped off the bus, by the end of the weekend, I made so many incredible friends.

Virtual YSME Highlights

The next year in 2020, the entire summit was virtual, but that didn’t stop me from learning! Workshops about Indigenous knowledge, youth climate action and mental health all kept me excited and ready for the next session. My favourite workshop was one about the sport of lacrosse and its significance for Indigenous communities. In between online sessions, I took part in nature challenges through exploring nature near home, ate wild rice and planted pollinator-friendly wildflower seeds that was sent to participants in the mail!

If you are a nature enthusiast between 14 and 20 years old, I hope reading about some of my highlights from previous Youth Summits encourages you to apply, and if you don’t qualify, please share this blog with someone who might be interested!

This year’s Youth Summit coming up soon. I look forward to connecting with like-minded youth across the province.

Follow us on @on_youthcouncil and @youthcircleformotherearth on Instagram for updates.

The 2021 Youth Summit for Mother Earth will be held as a series of online and offline events, with key events happening on September 25 and 26, 2021, and a follow-up virtual event in October. Four partners (Ontario Nature, the Indigenous Environmental Institute at Trent University, Plenty Canada and Walpole Island Land Trust) are working alongside the Youth Council and Youth Circle for Mother Earth to offer a unique cross-cultural virtual event planned with an ambitious goal of engaging 200 young people aged 14 – 20.

The summit will feature workshops, speakers, and plenty of virtual group activities and “challenges” to get participants outdoors in their own communities like nature scavenger hunts and connecting with the land through art. Youth will receive a package in the mail containing resources and tools to develop their cross-cultural literacy and take meaningful environmental action in their community.

You can also visit our Youth Summit webpage for more information. Sponsorships are available. If you have any questions about the Youth Summit or interested in supporting the event, please reach out to Christine at christinea@ontarionature.org or 1-800-440-2366 ext. 244.

The post My Youth Summit Experience appeared first on Ontario Nature.

In Ottawa, municipal politicians are backing a project that would build a multi-lane artery across a section of the city’s Greenbelt, fragmenting habitat and impacting the edge of a wetland complex known as Mer Bleue. Alternatives exist, but city officials favour this one due to a purportedly lower construction cost.

The landowner is the federal National Capital Commission (NCC), and thankfully they are opposed to the project – but Ottawa has a history of pressuring the NCC to give up Greenbelt lands.

Within Mer Bleue is the second largest bog in Southern Ontario. The bog has intact margins – a rarity as bogs of this size are often mined for peat or drained for farmland. Given its size (over 3,300 hectares) and integrity, Mer Bleue is listed as an internationally significant wetland under the Ramsar Convention. Even this designation, however, does not ensure protection.

The proposed road would require drainage, inevitably disturbing the shallow water table of the area. It would also separate Mer Bleue from an adjacent creek, disrupting wildlife movement in that corridor. Associated runoff with silt and road salt and noise and light pollution would further threaten wildlife such as breeding amphibians and birds. Resident moose and several species of turtles, which are already suffering high mortality on existing roads, would be increasingly vulnerable.

Wetlands provide a myriad of ecological and societal benefits. They store water, mitigating both floods and droughts, while filtering out contaminants. As greenspace and wildlife habitat, they contribute immensely to mental health and quality of life – something that the pandemic made readily apparent. Yet the immense value of these benefits is seldom quantified against the cost of a road project. In reality, no amount of money can buy back habitat like Mer Bleue if it is lost.

Bogs provide one benefit that merits particular attention: they sequester dramatically more carbon than other wetlands. Mer Bleue is home to the longest-running studies on carbon sequestration anywhere. This research has revealed that bogs and related peatlands occupy only three percent of the surface of the planet, yet contain a third of all of the soil-stored carbon in the entire world. In Mer Bleue, the layers of peat can be a much as six metres deep.

Leaders at all levels of government need to understand and consider the irreplaceable value of natural habitats, especially internationally significant, carbon-sucking wetlands like the Mer Bleue bog.

If you share our concern about this proposal, it is important that you make your voice heard. Please sign and share this CPAWS-Ottawa Valley Action.

---

Un projet routier menace la zone humide d’importance internationale Mer Bleue

Les politiciens municipaux d’Ottawa soutiennent un projet de construction d’une artère à plusieurs voies qui traverserait une section de la Ceinture de verdure de la ville, entraînant ainsi la fragmentation de l’habitat et ayant un impact en bordure du carrefour de zones humides connu sous le nom de Mer Bleue (en anglais seulement). Il existe d’autres solutions, mais les responsables de la ville privilégient celle-ci en raison de son coût de construction supposément inférieur. Le propriétaire du terrain est la Commission de la capitale nationale (CCN), qui s’oppose heureusement au projet, mais Ottawa a l’habitude de faire pression sur la CCN afin qu’elle cède des terrains de la Ceinture de verdure.

La Mer Bleue est la deuxième plus grande tourbière du sud de l’Ontario. Les marges de la tourbière sont intactes – une rareté puisque les tourbières de cette taille sont souvent exploitées pour la tourbe ou drainées pour des terres agricoles. Compte tenu de sa taille (plus de 3 300 hectares) et de son intégrité, la Mer Bleue est inscrite sur la liste des zones humides d’importance internationale de la Convention de Ramsar (en anglais seulement). Toutefois, même cette désignation ne garantit pas sa protection.

La route proposée nécessiterait un drainage, ce qui perturberait inévitablement la nappe phréatique peu profonde de la zone. Elle séparerait également la Mer Bleue d’un ruisseau adjacent, perturbant ainsi les déplacements de la faune dans ce corridor. Les eaux de ruissellement associées, chargées de limon et de sel de voirie, ainsi que la pollution sonore et lumineuse, menaceraient davantage la faune, notamment les amphibiens et les oiseaux reproducteurs. Les orignaux résidents et plusieurs espèces de tortues, qui subissent déjà une forte mortalité sur les routes existantes, deviendraient de plus en plus vulnérables.

Les zones humides offrent une myriade d’avantages écologiques et sociétaux (en anglais seulement). Elles stockent l’eau, atténuant ainsi les inondations et les sécheresses, tout en filtrant les contaminants. En tant qu’espaces verts et habitats sauvages, elles contribuent grandement à la santé mentale et à la qualité de vie – ce que la pandémie a mis en évidence. Pourtant, l’immense valeur de ces avantages est rarement considérée relativement aux coûts d’un projet routier. En réalité, aucune somme d’argent n’équivaut à la valeur d’un habitat comme la Mer Bleue s’il est perdu.

Les tourbières présentent un avantage qui mérite une attention particulière : elles séquestrent beaucoup plus de carbone que les autres zones humides. La Mer Bleue fait l’objet des études les plus longues sur la séquestration du carbone. Ces recherches (en anglais seulement) ont révélé que les tourbières n’occupent que trois pour cent de la surface de la planète, mais qu’elles contiennent un tiers du carbone stocké dans le sol du monde entier. Dans la Mer Bleue, les couches de tourbe peuvent atteindre jusqu’à six mètres de profondeur.

Les dirigeants à tous les niveaux de gouvernement doivent comprendre et prendre en compte la valeur irremplaçable des habitats naturels, en particulier les zones humides d’importance internationale qui absorbent le carbone, comme la tourbière de la Mer Bleue.

Si vous partagez notre inquiétude concernant cette proposition de projet routier, il est important que vous fassiez entendre votre voix. Veuillez signer et partager cette action de la SNAP-Vallée de l’Outaouais (en anglais seulement).

The post Road Proposal Threatens Mer Bleue Internationally Significant Wetland appeared first on Ontario Nature.

This article was originally published in The Walleye.

Like so many traumatic events in our shared history, everyone remembers exactly what they were doing in the days and hours before the world shut down last year. I was in a meeting when everyone’s phones lit up with the news that the Government of Ontario was going to shut down the schools after March break. Within that instant, the seriousness of the novel coronavirus hit home. This was going to be bad.

I spent those first weeks glued to the livestreaming world map that tallied the rapidly growing numbers of infections and deaths. The combination of people’s limited social interactions, tensions within families in lockdown together, financial pressures, and fear of losing loved ones led to a despair that was overwhelming for many, and utterly devastating for some.

As the new normal of COVID-19 anxiety set in – when no one was talking about anything else – a shift started to occur. The deafening roar of human activities had suddenly become muted, and we started to hear things many of us hadn’t really paid attention to in a long time. Spring – the birds, frogs, flowers, rain – beckoned to us. After weeks of indoor isolation, we heeded the call to get outside. People flocked to greenspaces in our community and around the region. Provincial park and other conservation area use increased – so much that physical distancing on trails became challenging sometimes. Mushroom picking exploded. Nearly everyone, and their dogs, were out on Lake Superior over the winter – skating, biking, and walking. While theatres, gyms, and nightclubs may have been closed, forests, beaches and lakes were hopping.

Research supports what we already know from experience. We feel better when our senses connect us to nature, whether feeling a rock smoothed by the rolling waves of Lake Superior, the smell of a balsam tree at Centennial Park, or the sound of spring peepers at Mills Block. Astonishingly, even looking at a tree can boost your mood.

Globally, time spent internet streaming, on social media, and gaming has been steadily increasing for well over a decade, including an estimated 16 million new subscriptions to Netflix in the first month of lockdown. Unlike the stimulation from digital screens, the stimulation we receive from nature has a calming effect. The reasons why time spent in nature helps to support better mental health are complex and our understanding is still evolving, but COVID-19 has much to teach us about our relationship with the natural world.

For those who believe that the Earth is a living, breathing mother, COVID-19 is her way of telling us to stop walking around like we own the place. For those who believe that the Earth is a set of biotic and abiotic factors that interact in complex but ultimately explainable ways, COVID-19 is understood by the convergence of the interactions that preceded it. Regardless of our understanding of how we got here, there is no denying that we’ve arrived at a crossroads.

As we start to emerge from this year of change and adaptation, where do we want to go? Most of our attention over the past year has been on the health crisis out of necessity. We must not lose sight of looming and related dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Will we take the hard-earned lessons from this past year – listen to experts, protect the vulnerable, work together, and value what we’ve got – and head toward a just and sustainable future? Or will we ease back into (something like) our old lives and wait for our phones to light up announcing the next crisis?

The post What COVID-19 Has Taught Us About the Value of Nature appeared first on Ontario Nature.

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”

– Aristotle

Every living being has a story to tell. As an artist and nature enthusiast, Lisa Vanin tells the stories of the natural world through her art. Her unique art style transports her audience to a world where folk art and fine art collide. Lisa’s paintings of Ontario’s at-risk species remind us of their beauty and vulnerability, and that we all have a role in helping them fight for their survival.

Blanding’s Turtle: Threatened Provincially, Endangered Nationally

Did you know that all native Ontario turtles are now at risk? While it is easy to identify a Blanding’s turtle by its distinctive bright yellow chin and throat, threats such as wetland habitat loss, vehicle collisions and nest predation are driving their decline, making them harder to spot in the wild.

Turtle road mortality is generally the highest in May, June and July, as they travel to find a mate once the weather warms up. Some female turtles are found crossing roads to reach nesting sites, while others lay eggs in the gravelly substrates on road shoulders. It is therefore important to always be aware of your surroundings while driving. Wildlife warning signs can often be found in turtle hotspots. If you see turtles crossing the road, help move them in the direction they are travelling, if it is safe to do so.

Bobolink: Threatened Provincially and Nationally

Bobolinks are among the very few bird species that undergo two complete molts per year. Every summer, breeding males distinguish themselves from females by molting into their sleek black plumage, accessorized with a yellow head patch and bold white patterns down their back. Afterwards, they molt back into a striped, brown plumage, disguising themselves among the females.

The bobolink’s population in Ontario has decreased by 75 percent in the past 50 years. The population is expected to decline further due to the continued habitat loss and degradation, incidental mortality (e.g. hay mowing during breeding season) and hostile wintering grounds.

Eastern Loggerhead Shrike: Endangered Provincially and Nationally

A disproportionately large head has given this fearsome predatory songbird its common name. Despite their draconian feeding behaviour, eastern loggerhead shrikes are losing their habitats not only to development, but also to vegetation succession, when thickets and shrubs creep in to take over the unmanaged grasslands. Road mortality and toxic prey ingestion pose threats to their survival as well.

Boreal Caribou: Threatened Provincially and Nationally

Boreal caribou are among the most elusive and majestic of North America’s big mammals. They rely heavily on mature conifer forests to avoid predators and to forage. With rapid human developments and activities such as industrial logging, caribous are losing their habitats. The situation is worsened with the provincial government prioritizing profit over wildlife protection.

Ontario Nature will continue to protect boreal caribou’s critical habitat through conducting research and holding stakeholders accountable in forest management. We have recently partnered with Birds Canada to evaluate the conservation value of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) candidate protected areas and to make the case for their need for permanent protection. Those areas include significant boreal caribou habitat.

Redside Dace: Endangered Provincially and Nationally

In Canada, Redside dace is found only in southern Ontario. Males are more intensely coloured than females, with red and yellow stripes along the body. Their vibrant colours intensify during spawning seasons. Riparian vegetation loss, altered stream flow and changes in water temperature caused by nearby developments threaten their habitats.

Rusty-Patched Bumblebees: Endangered Provincially and Nationally

With a particularly short tongue, the rusty-patched bumble bees feed by puncturing flowers to suck up the nectar. Although once abundant, the species population has declined by 90 percent throughout its range. Some of the factors that contribute to the decline of Canadian native bees are pesticide use, disease spillover, habitat loss and climate change.

Monarch Butterfly: Special Concern Provincially and Nationally

The iconic monarch butterfly serves as a reminder of the importance of public engagement in wildlife conservation. From caterpillar rearing to planting milkweed in the backyard, nature lovers have put tremendous effort into saving these legendary migrants, which are threatened by habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change. Learn more about how to re-wild your property to help Ontario’s wildlife and native pollinators in our summer 2021 issue of ON Nature magazine.

The post Seven Ontario Species at Risk Through the Eyes of an Artist appeared first on Ontario Nature.

Nature is spectacular in its simplest form, and magnificent in its complexity. Animal and plant kingdoms alike are stunningly beautiful yet incredibly vulnerable. Some thrive, some survive, and some are lost forever. How can we help protect the ecosystems that sustain us?

As Simple As 1 – 2 – 3

1. Be aware. Life on Earth is interconnected. When nature falters, we falter. Therefore, we must be aware of how our actions impact the stability of nature around us.

2. Understand. The pendulum can swing far and hard in the wrong direction when the balance of nature is disrupted. We must keep our wants versus our needs in check.

3. Act. Choose to take a stance for Ontario’s species at risk. They depend on all of us.

Declining Biodiversity

Human activities are harming the world’s terrestrial and marine environments, and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating.

Extensive deforestation is an important driver of biodiversity loss. Many once pristine wetlands are being destroyed by massive residential and industrial developments. Habitat loss, pollution and climate change also pose serious threats.

When do we determine that this so-called ‘progress’ has pushed the stability of wildlife and ecosystems past the breaking point? It is a concerning question as we look toward the future and what might lie ahead.

Our Own Backyard

While many are concerned about the plight of wildlife worldwide, we sometimes lose sight of the beautiful creatures that live right in our own backyards.

Ontario has varied ecosystems. From the incredible boreal forests, tundra and wetlands of the far north to the Carolinian forest of the southern region and the beautiful Niagara Escarpment, our province should be full of biodiversity. Yet more than 230 animals and plants are at risk in Ontario.

To destroy that which shares this planet with us – particularly for the purposes of overindulgence and overconsumption – is a sad legacy. Losing ecosystems like wetlands, forests, prairies and lakes, creates a chain effect that can ultimately affect the wellbeing of our communities.

Our Choice

Nature depends on us. In the opinion of this proud life-long Ontarian and wildlife artist, today is not too soon to protect our wild species and wild spaces.

It is for these reasons that I feel compelled to act in my own humble way. As a wildlife artist and with my love for all things nature, my art has now become my voice. Stepping away from my normal style of art, my latest depictions of our vulnerable species, although haunting, are designed to bring hope to this crisis and shine light on the darkness. This collection has been created for and committed to assisting organizations that are dedicated to the preservation of wild Ontario.

In a quest to help Ontario’s endangered species, one hundred percent of the net proceeds of my original painting ‘Winged Warrior’ will be donated to Ontario Nature for the charity’s ongoing effort in the preservation of wild areas for the sustainability of the monarch butterfly. For more information, please visit: artscapesbysherry.ca.

The post Ontario’s Species at Risk: A Wildlife Artist’s Perspective and Offering appeared first on Ontario Nature.